Editor's note: What are your thoughts on Islam today? Are you observing Ramadan? If so, how are you celebrating your faith? How do you think Islam has changed since the turn of the millennium? Send us photos or video or tell us in the comments below.

"We have a very big responsibility to show the true meaning and the true essence of Islam." That's what it means to be Muslim today, according to Nashwa Zakharia, a PR director from the United Arab Emirates.

She says it has been "distorted" and "misrepresented" by world events and the actions of some individuals.

soundoff(48 Responses)

Leah

In as few words as possible, I'm pretty annoyed that the media asks those questions to those Muslims who aren't very practicing. Wearing the headscarf is an ordanance in Islam and yet not 1 of the 3 woman wore it. The first man is right, being Muslim today is the same as being Muslim throughout the ages. It means to be devout and sincere in our worship, to pray, to fast in Ramadhan, to give charity and to make our pilgramige to Mecca at least once if we are physically/financially able. Yes, we need to change media's misrepresentation of Islam .

What some here have said, that we Muslims do not enjoy our lives is ridiculous. I'm a 19 year old girl and I dress up and party just like others (ONLY AROUND WOMAN!), we hold bake sales, I go out to eat regularly, watch the Daily show every night, when I get married, my husband is the only man who will be able to touch me because I actually have a sense of self-worth unlike 80% of the American public who march around in "daisy dukes" and "bikinis on top" like Katy Perry so nicely put it.

Oh oh and PS. If I'm happy living the way I live, why do you even get the right to comment??

Just an FYI for whoever doesn't agree, I was raised Catholic. I know that life and trust me, if you lived a week in my little Muslim shoes, you'd appreciate life a hell of a lot more and be searching for someone to thank for all that is provided for you.

Thank God(ALLAH – The Exalted) for all that He has Given us.

Peace.

August 15, 2010 at 6:44 pm |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

Being Muslim today means different things to different people in different places. To a Muslim in the West, being Muslim is realizing that modernity and capitalism have taken humanity towards an extreme. Godlessness and inability to form meaningful relationships are plagues that haunt mankind. And as Muslims, we are thankful to be free of these plagues. With clear-cut separation of sexes and their roles and mannerisms, men can be free to be men and women can be free to be women in Islam. Leading to healthy sexual and familial relationships. Like mankind has enjoyed for most of its past. By identifying God, as the central character in the universe, we Muslims are blessed again to avoid denying another simple basic reality that modernity has robbed mankind of. The obvious presence of God all around us.

Wars come and go, as do nutjobs, and islamophobia too here today gone tomorrow, being Muslim is not about getting caught up in someone else's discourse! Being Muslim is about realizing life is the same as it has been for centuries, family, God and good clean living.

August 14, 2010 at 1:45 pm |

Tino

TI,

You say you follow the Qur'an to the letter – so how many infidels have you fought against, since such fighting is mandated in your little book? Your claims are laughable. INDIVIDUALLY, some Muslims are fine but your religion is crap and should not be allowed to be practiced in this country as it is also a political system.

Many people may still fall prey to the PC mindset but a whole hell of a lot of us are well aware of the hatred and intolerance that Muslims preach and practice. Muslim countries are the most intolerant in the world today. Once you all get power you drop the hammer – so the key is keeping you the hell out of the US. Europe is probably already toast (see French riots over police killing an armed robber who shot at them).

August 14, 2010 at 3:18 am |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

Muslim countries may be the most intolerant in the world today, but then one could argue western countries are supplying these intolerant countries with billions and billions of dollars in weapon systems. What does that make you then? the most hypocritical? the most war mongering? the most friendly to intolerant people?

NEW YORK TIMES (July 28, 2007)
The Bush administration is preparing to ask Congress to approve an arms sale package for Saudi Arabia and its neighbors that is expected to eventually total $20 billion at a time when some United States officials contend that the Saudis are playing a counterproductive role in Iraq. The proposed package of advanced weaponry for Saudi Arabia, which includes advanced satellite-guided bombs, upgrades to its fighters and new naval vessels ....

Along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are likely to receive equipment and weaponry from the arms sales under consideration, officials said. In general, the United States is interested in upgrading the countries’ air and missile defense systems, improving their navies and making modest improvements in their air forces, administration officials said, though not all the packages would be the same.

Along with the announcement of formal talks with Persian Gulf allies on the arms package, Ms. Rice is planning to outline the new agreement to provide military aid to Israel, as well as a similar accord with Egypt.

The $30.4 billion being promised to Israel is $9.1 billion more than Israel has received over the past decade, an increase of nearly 43 percent.

August 14, 2010 at 4:00 am |

Whatsinaname

@Reality
I think you should change your name to "Seagull". I think it would make more sense than "Reality".

August 13, 2010 at 7:15 pm |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

You are insulting seagulls here. Seagulls are fine fine creatures, they travel the lands and have a sense of direction and purpose. If I was a seagull, I would take great offense to being compared to oxymoronic Reality.

August 14, 2010 at 4:09 am |

abbydelabbey

#1 - if you're a female your life stinks -

#2 - if you're a male you get to control all the females - physically and sexually abuse them - young girls included.

I ceased considering Islam a religion - it's a system of oppression that supports pedophilia, "honor killings," stoning, beheadings, cutting off noes and ears, physical and sexual abuse of the most vulnerable.

That's not a peaceful anything.

August 13, 2010 at 5:19 pm |

TI

Hi. I'm a Muslim and I defend this country every day for a living. I keep to myself and have many Muslim and non-Muslim friends, and I ask that you please stop generalizing my entire faith over the evil of a few. I don't sit here and generalize the Christian faith for what a few Catholic priests do. Be rational.

Where are you all getting your information on Islam? The media is hardly the best resource for educating yourself over any religion. Muslims here do NOT want Sharia law, we support and recognize the beauty of a non-theocratic nation. In fact, that's why Muslims came here to begin with, to have freedom of religion and practice Islam the way it's supposed to be practiced, as peaceful.

Calm down, extremists and terrorists are in the vast minority of all Muslims in the world. All you "see" is death and destruction at the hands of a few because that's what gets media ratings. Moderation and peace don't sell.

I'm proud to be an American, always will be. I'll defend this country with my life, but as an American I'm offended that there are people like you all that spew this kind of unbridled general hatred for 1.5 billion people, 99.999% of which have nothing to do with terrorism. It's that .001% that get all the media attention because people love to watch destruction of any kind, it's like moths to a flame. We have no pope, otherwise we would have excommunicated those idiots a long time ago.

For what it's worth, I'm a Muslim, terrorists are not Muslim, and I denounce radicalism of any form. That includes radical comments like the ones I'm seeing here. I'm amazed at the level of ignorance here. Really it's just shameful.

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

August 13, 2010 at 4:56 pm |

Reality

Non-believers – atheists under Islam do not have "the right to life ". They are to be killed. According to Islamic culture, sins are divided into great sins and little sins. Among the seventeen great sins, unbelief is the greatest, more heinous than murder, theft, adultery and so on. Courageous apostates aim to skewer the hypocrisies and inconsistencies of a faith that commands the allegiance of a billion people-as well as the hypocrisies of those Western defenders of Islam who would not tolerate its strictures in their own cultures.

A free discussion of Islam is extremely dangerous not only in countries under Islamic rule but also in the west. Most keep their feelings to themselves. Those Muslims who disown or even criticize their faith publicly are likely to be accused of apostasy, a crime punishable by death under Islamic law-a penalty enforced by a number of Islamic states, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.- Azam Kamguian

August 13, 2010 at 6:02 pm |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

How many non-believers have been put to death in the last 50 years in Muslim lands?? How many non-believers (in the millions) have been visiting and often living in the Muslim lands in the past 50 years?? To make the claim that Islam requires putting non-believers to death in its midst, you would have to show proof that atleast 5% – 10% of all non-believers who have been to a Muslim land have been caught and hung up as a religious dictate. If this is not happening, and the actual number is (say 0.1%), then you need to go to the library and read a book about Islam or something!

August 14, 2010 at 4:06 am |

J

Religious thinking: Give to the needy and poor.

Rational thinking: Teach the needy and poor to provide for themselves.

I am so glad people are waking up and realizing that fearing what will happen after our death is taking away from the quality of our life now.

I feel muslims are unfairly predjudiced. But when a majority of them do insensitive things such as build a mosque next to a major terrorist attack inspired by extremeists of their own religion, they need to expect and accept we be insensitive to them back.

August 13, 2010 at 4:55 pm |

heterohighelf

why do we have to have moderators on this thread? is it because we ahv eto be sensitive to beliefs? what tripe! that's not debate, and if we can't ridicule and laugh out errant thought, then why even have comments? for example we know with evidence that anyone who believes that the earth is flat is flat WRONG! it may not be their fault, they just happen to be ignorant. what's wrong with exposing ignorance? so what if someone's feelings are hurt, at least enlightenning them is worth it in the long run

August 13, 2010 at 4:29 pm |

Eric G

Calling someone ignorant does not hurt them, it offends them. What hurts is when they realize they are ignorant.

August 13, 2010 at 7:30 pm |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

or they realize, YOU are ignorant!

August 14, 2010 at 12:03 pm |

heterohighelf

i would say that being a muslim is to emulate mohammed's examples and teacings...kill jews,christians,blasphemers,pagans,apostates and any others deemed unislamic. yes, it means conquering and subjugating and enslaving. torturing,etc..fortunately, the majority of muslims only go by the good stuff in it. unfortunately many believe the koran is perfect and shouldn't be questioned. being muslim means that you support subjugating the entire world under islam and bowing to the black stone in the kabba and emulating a mentally ill megalomaniac who loved murder,rape,pillaging, marrying 6 year olds, dying of syphillis, and upon his death bed begging his followers to pray that he doesn't go to hell..also, naming the creator after an old pagan moon god. islam is the biggeswt curse ever put upon humanity..equal or even more evil than the vatican. it's too bad the fundamentalist muslims are too blind to see what their real oppression is..the mullahs, sheiks, insane imams, etc...Islam means peace only becaue no one will be left alive if it had it's way..the koran equals hate, and those that spout it are spreading ahte speech...i know i will be called a hater and that i don't know about islam,etc..it's all the same muslim bumper sticker lies that they convince themselves that they believe. why should we have to celebrate other culture's superstitious insanity? i thought in the USA that freedom of religion also meant freedom from religion.

August 13, 2010 at 4:22 pm |

heterohighelf

can you post my comment already, or is the truth deemed too offenswive for adult sensibilities?

August 13, 2010 at 4:58 pm |

Petey

This isn't something we can just shout down. We've been at this for 20+ years with more hate now then before. Will dialogue work...not so far...why not?

How can you stop an enemy that isn't there when the bomb detonates? If you can't use bullets or diplomacy, what remains?

http://www.uggafugga.com/ttgb-p12.php#2

August 13, 2010 at 4:22 pm |

Petey

It's a long ride...don't make me pull this car over.

August 13, 2010 at 4:18 pm |

Coptic

It means a racist,
Do you know that in the Law of Islam "Shari-ea" if a Muslim killed a non Muslim he/she cannot be prosecuted, and a non Muslim cannot rule Muslims because it does not consider non Muslim as humans.

August 13, 2010 at 4:16 pm |

TI

That is false. Killing anyone in Islam is the greatest sin one can commit, except for idolatry. Whether they are Muslim or non-Muslim, killing is the most wretched act under Sharia law. Certain Muslim countries take Sharia law to the extreme unfortunately, which is why there are so many Muslims in America, because this country is freaking awesome and lets us practice the way we want to.

August 13, 2010 at 5:03 pm |

Reality

In April 2006, after a court case in Egypt recognized the Bahá'í Faith, members of the clergy convinced the government to appeal the court decision. One member of parliament, Gamal Akl of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, said the Bahá'ís were infidels who should be killed on the grounds that they had changed their religion, thus ignoring the historical nature of the conversion and the fact that most living Bahá'í have not, in fact, ever been Muslim.

August 13, 2010 at 5:50 pm |

Reality

However, Ibn Warraq points out some earlier scholars of Islam who found support in the Qur'an for the death penalty for apostasy.[35] He quotes al-Shafi (died 820 C.E.), the founder of one of the four orthodox schools of law of Sunni Islam that verse [Qur'an 2:217] meant that the death penalty should be prescribed for apostates, and Al-Thalabi and Al-Khazan concurred, and states that Al-Razi in his commentary on 2:217 says an apostate should be killed. Ibn Warraq also quotes commentaries by Baydawi (died c. 1315-1316) on [Qur'an 4:89] as "Whosoever turns back from his belief (irtada), openly or secretly, take him and kill him wheresoever ye find him, like any other infidel". Verse ([Qur'an 4:88]) reads:

Why should ye be divided into two parties about the Hypocrites? ... They wish if you disbelieve as they disbelieved so that you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate in the way of Allah. But if they turn back, seize them and kill them wherever you find them. And do not take from among them any ally or helper, Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty or those who come to you with hearts restraining them from fighting you or fighting their people. And if Allah had willed, surely He would have given them power over you, so that they would have taken arms against you. Therefore, if they keep away from you and cease their hostility and offer you peace, God bids you not to harm them.

August 13, 2010 at 5:55 pm |

Reality

Non-believers – atheists under Islam do not have "the right to life ". They are to be killed. According to Islamic culture, sins are divided into great sins and little sins. Among the seventeen great sins, unbelief is the greatest, more heinous than murder, theft, adultery and so on. Courageous apostates aim to skewer the hypocrisies and inconsistencies of a faith that commands the allegiance of a billion people-as well as the hypocrisies of those Western defenders of Islam who would not tolerate its strictures in their own cultures.

A free discussion of Islam is extremely dangerous not only in countries under Islamic rule but also in the west. Most keep their feelings to themselves. Those Muslims who disown or even criticize their faith publicly are likely to be accused of apostasy, a crime punishable by death under Islamic law-a penalty enforced by a number of Islamic states, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.– Azam Kamguian

August 13, 2010 at 5:59 pm |

Jeff B.

You're wrong, Jon.
We, the U.S., and europe have already knuckled under.
The world is too politically correct to keep this disease at bay.
If we speak out, we are bigots.
IF we guard ourselves against radical Islam, we are accused of guarding ourselves against all Islam – and they are right...for, when it comes to any individual muslim, IF he is not "peaceful" we only find out abut it after-the-fact, when it's too late.
Whole areas of Europe live under the equivalent of Sharia, as does parts of the U.S. (look at Flint);
We have been sentenced to death by our own liberals in the name of political correctness, for as long as there is ONE non-violent Muslim, those liberals will not allow us to act against the other 1.4999 Billion.
And, lest you say that there are only a "few" radicals – consider that those few, first of all, could not operate without the aiders/abettors, financers and sympathizers...and those are NOT "few".
Afghans outnumber the Taliban 10,0000 to 1....but they will not take action.
LOOK at "Cordova" and "Spain", THEN tell me that New York's "Cordova initiative" is peaceful.

August 13, 2010 at 3:18 pm |

Jon

I agree with you Jeff. But just like a few zillion other Americans who won't take any s*it from them, I'm former military and I'm armed. They will do well if they live in peace and turn their self-righteous anger on the radical elements of their own religion. We can't police it all, but we can deal with it when it comes our way. This problem of radical islam is the most important thing facing the world today and people need to get their heads out of their rear ends and wake up. Sometimes you have to fight and if I'm going to die on any hill, this might as well be the one.

August 13, 2010 at 3:39 pm |

Toby

I like the fact that you identify Islam as a disease. Clearly, beliefs of this sort (and here I include Christianity and Judaism) are delusions of the mind, brought on by fear of death and the unknown. But having discussed religion with many intelligent and faithful friends, I recognize that reason and critical thinking are not part of the religious framework upon which they hold these ideas and beliefs. Thanks for calling a spade a spade!

August 13, 2010 at 3:53 pm |

Coptic

I agree with Jiff,
the problem is not people the problem is in Islam itself and how the Sharia does not allow religion freedom , also the problem with the amount of hate in Islam.
I am not saying all Muslims are bad people, but they would not be good people if they do every word in their book.

Toby you are free to believe they way you want but if you tell your ideas about religions to a Muslim person in a Muslim country they might kill you. everyone should be free to believe what ever they want.

August 13, 2010 at 4:41 pm |

TI

Coptic,

I'm a Muslim and I can tell you that I follow the Qur'an to the letter. I'm a proud American and I defend my country every day for a living. I have no desire for Sharia law, and it's really just a joke to me that people are on here spewing assumptions about it in the first place.

You all would really do justice to yourselves to be properly educated before spitting out "facts" that hear on TV. I'm amazed at how effective the media is at becoming the ONLY source of education for most of the American public. As a citizen, I'm offended. As a Muslim, I don't really care.

August 13, 2010 at 5:01 pm |

Jon

Muslims who live in the free world can say anything they want about how great islam is, but don't expect any non-muslim to believe any BS about your religiion.

Non-muslims get a first hand view, nearly everyday, of the overbearing, demanding, ignorant, brutal, psychotic and stone age mentality that is the foundation and the main theme of islam. You all like it....that's fine. Just keep it to yourselves and we'll all get along.

However, if you muslims make the mistake of thinking, even for a minute, that citizens of free non-theocratic nations of the Western world will knuckle under to the hatred that emanates from your demonic religion, then you sadly under estimate us. We want to live in peace with you but if you try to shove your BS down our throats we will take you out.

August 13, 2010 at 3:00 pm |

SR

Exactly. If the believers of Islam will keep it to themselves, then we wouldn't have this problem. It is when they shove it in your face and slaughter innocents in the name of it, that we have to rise up to defend ourselves.

August 13, 2010 at 3:11 pm |

TI

Wow Jon you've got a lot to say there.

So where do you see all this first-hand view of Islam? I hope that you're a troop on the ground, or that you actually live in a Muslim country to be able to substantiate that claim. Otherwise, CNN isn't exactly the best resource to view the Muslim world lol.

Anywayyyy. I'm Muslim. I follow the Qur'an to the letter. I love my country and I defend it every day, and, I would give my life for it. I don't want Shari'a law, and I'm thankful to be an American because I can practice Islam in a peaceful way. I also hate it when people try to shove their beliefs down my throat, it's really just offensive.

You would do well to educate yourself on Islam from a proper resource. Again as you said, I can tell you how great Islam is all I want, but at the end of the day, it's really about picking the facts that you want to believe in. Muslims in general, particularly in America, are great people. Muslims abroad in general, are great people. Lastly, the biggest victim of terrorism worldwide because of idiot extremists is actually the Muslim world. More Muslims have been killed from terrorist acts than any other.

Anyway, have a great weekend.

August 13, 2010 at 5:09 pm |

Leah

Food for thought: If I, as a born and raised Non-Muslim, got the horrible impression of Islam that you so described, why is it that I am now thankfully Muslim? And why is it that it has been for many years now, the fastest growing religion in the world??

August 15, 2010 at 6:47 pm |

Womenfortruth101

Reality, keep your sick Christian mind to yourself. We Muslims have to deal with you morons on a daily basis.

SR, the US has always been and always will be a Christian Nation. Think about it America leads the world in murder, rape, abuse, abductions etc.

August 13, 2010 at 2:41 pm |

acmed Shams

Muslims many are good and peaceful we must learn to recognize those who are not like taliban!Please, friends, learn about how brutal the Taliban really are. This video is not lie:
Please, you MUST see this:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9aw6Cnw0hY&w=640&h=390]

August 13, 2010 at 12:08 pm |

SR

To President Obama: Stop using our Tax dollars to build mosques!
AMERICA is NO LONGER A SECULAR NATION if we sponsor one religion at the expense of other religions.

U.S. underwrites fund raising tour for Islamic shrine at Ground Zero

By THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The Washington Times

7:46 p.m., Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, executive director of the Cordoba Initiative, addresses a gathering as groups planning a proposed mosque and cultural center near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan to be named Cordoba House showed and spoke about their plans for the center at a community board meeting in New York Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Community members both for and against the plan spoke during the meeting. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

The State Department is sending Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf – the mastermind of the Ground Zero Mosque – on a trip through the Middle East to foster "greater understanding" about Islam and Muslim communities in the United States. However, important questions are being raised about whether this is simply a taxpayer-funded fundraising jaunt to underwrite his reviled project, which is moving ahead in Lower Manhattan.

Mr. Rauf is scheduled to go to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Qatar, the usual stops for Gulf-based fundraising. The State Department defends the five-country tour saying that Mr. Rauf is "a distinguished Muslim cleric," but surely the government could find another such figure in the United States who is not seeking millions of dollars to fund a construction project that has so strongly divided America.

Americans also may be surprised to learn that the United States has been an active participant in mosque construction projects overseas. In April, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso E. Lenhardt helped cut the ribbon at the 12th-century Kizimkazi Mosque, which was refurbished with assistance from the United States under a program to preserve culturally significant buildings. The U.S. government also helped save the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque in Cairo, which dates back to 642. The mosque's namesake was the Muslim conqueror of Christian Egypt, who built the structure on the site where he had pitched his tent before doing battle with the country's Byzantine rulers. For those who think the Ground Zero Mosque is an example of "Muslim triumphalism" glorifying conquest, the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque is an example of such a monument – and one paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds.

August 13, 2010 at 10:06 am |

Coptic

it means you are not right. I will ask any Muslim one thing what will happen to you if you leave Islam? also it is not about people it is about the Law of Islam which does not respect people from any other religion. Please read the history of Islam before playing the role of victim. I saw your true believes in Egypt where I lived their for years and how non Muslims are being treated.

August 13, 2010 at 4:01 pm |

TI

Coptic,

Egypt is hardly the place to go to find a proper Muslim community that is practicing Islam properly. If you want to see that, visit your local mosque here in America. You can come to mine, we love hosting people and we have a lot of visitors every day.

If you want to look at the history of Islam, it's actually the only religion under which all three religions lived together peacefully (see Spain, even Jarusalem). Islam and its ideals are actually based on Judaism and Christianity, and are hardly demonic. Some people in this world however, such as extremists and terrorists, now that's a different story.

I'd suggest not offering up so much disgust for 1.5 billion people... it makes you seem uneducated, and quite frankly it makes you sound like the very people who want to destroy our country. A lack of education does that, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're highly educated.

August 13, 2010 at 5:15 pm |

SR

TI

I hate yo break it to you and millions of other delusional people thinking that Islam has been the only religion that has been tolerant of other faiths. That is a lie and if you keep repeating, it still won't become the Truth.

The only instance of religions living together peacefully in History has been India. We welcomed the Jews when they were persecuted all around the world thousands of years ago, we welcomed the Christians (legend has it St.Thomas visited India and started his missonary work there) and we have the largest Muslim population outside of Indonesia. That again is thousands of years of unbroken History.

You and I will be lucky to see such Tolerance out of Islam in our life time. It won't last a thousand years since Islam's intolerance is built in by design by Mohammad into the Qur'an.

So don't repeat such lies here. I can understand ignorance of History of people other than Islamic from Muslims but I can't stand Lies.

August 13, 2010 at 7:12 pm |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

its funny to see christians and jews calling islam demonic! islam is a exact copy of them. too funny. Infact, many people think Muhammad simply copied wholesale from judaism and christianity and left out the theologically fishy parts like man being God and Gods dying for sins of men and all that mythology. He tightened up the loopholes that the rabbis had slipped in over the centuries and re=packaged the whole thing as something new, Islam!

August 14, 2010 at 3:42 am |

Reality

What it means to be a Muslim today:

Being a victim of the biggest con job ever pulled on humankind. Islamic tenets are nothing but the fairy tales of an hallucinating, contriving, warmongering, womanizing Arab named Mohammed. And the second biggest con jobs? They are those pulled on us by the likes of Paul et al and the scribes of Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

August 13, 2010 at 9:14 am |

Reality

What in means to be a Muslim today:

Being a victime of the biggest con job ever pulled on humankind. Islamic tenets are nothing but the fairy tales of an hallucinating, contriving, warmongering, womanizing Arab named Mohammed. And the second biggest con jobs? They are those pulled on us by the likes of Paul et al and the scribes of Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

August 13, 2010 at 9:12 am |

Gary

It means nothing. Being a muslim today or in 7th century means nothing. You miss out on life. you dont eat delicious pork or consume hoppy beer. You spend more time kneeling down to an imaginary Allah than living life to its fullest. Anyone who wants to throw their life away being a religious fanatic makes a bad choice. I assume so many due for insecure reasons. I am so glad I use my brain and see above the shackles of religion.

August 13, 2010 at 8:45 am |

Toby

Thanks for an outstanding comment in favor of reason, rationality, and critical thinking. I see more and more people waking up to the fact that religion is delusional, fanatical, and divisive.

August 13, 2010 at 3:50 pm |

Rick Barszcz

It means, once a killer always a killer. That what muslims mean. They are evil people who hate. They always have and they always will. No one can change this. I avoid "them" at all costs.

August 13, 2010 at 3:56 pm |

TI

Rick,

I'm a Muslim and I don't hate anyone. From what I've learned growing up, Islam, like Christianity, obligates us to love. I follow the Qur'an as best I can. I have never killed nor do I plan on it. I love my country and I defend it. You should really get to know a good moderate Muslim before passing judgement on his or her entire faith.

You all shouldn't be so spiteful. It's bad for your health.

August 13, 2010 at 5:18 pm |

SR

TI

I hate yo break it to you and millions of other delusional people thinking that Islam has been the only religion that has been tolerant of other faiths. That is a lie and if you keep repeating, it still won't become the Truth.

The only instance of religions living together peacefully in History has been India. We welcomed the Jews when they were persecuted all around the world thousands of years ago, we welcomed the Christians (legend has it St.Thomas visited India and started his missonary work there) and we have the largest Muslim population outside of Indonesia. That again is thousands of years of unbroken History.

You and I will be lucky to see such Tolerance out of Islam in our life time. It won't last a thousand years since Islam's intolerance is built in by design by Mohammad into the Qur'an.

So don't repeat such lies here. I can understand ignorance of History of people other than Islamic from Muslims but I can't stand Taqquia.

August 13, 2010 at 7:10 pm |

Fadi

TI never said Islam is the only tolerant religion.
And sorry, buddy, but there are a billion Muslims, 99% moderate and peaceful. It's going to be around for a while. You know why? Because they don't care what you say.

August 14, 2010 at 1:05 am |

(B)iraq Hussein Osama

instead of pork, muslims eat chicken and beef, instead of beer, muslims drink tea and orange juice. instead of fornicating with your neighor's wife, muslims fornicate with their own wives. So the idea that Muslims do not enjoy this life is silly! Muslims simply enjoy this life with a sense of maturity and realization that enjoying your life at someone else's expense is not enjoyment at all in the grand scheme of things.

The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.